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[Melly]

This is what I got starting your game, and I tend to be able to play GM games very well.

[Pishtaco]

This is what I got starting your game, and I tend to be able to play GM games very well.

Oh my. What kind of system are you running, and what's the graphics card memory?

I posted an old version a while back with fewer graphical effects (and weird controls - A and S to move the object and the cursor keys to rotate it). It's here: http://willhostforfood.com/?Action=download&fileid=31809 Does that run any better?

[Melly]

That older version runs well, yes.

Not sure about memory, but my video card is a Nvidia GeForce4 MX 4000.

[finalfrog]

I just found this off RPS, and after playing it, I have to say you are awesome and your game is made of win. Just had to register here to tell you that.
Now if I can just figure out how to stay alive longer...
Edit: Just voted for ya. Hope you win!

[seregrail7]

I just see a black screen when I run this.
Other game maker games work fine.

[Gainsworthy]

@Gainsworthy: One draft of the introductory text hinted at the weirdness in the Zone being connected with a visit from the Soviet Academy of Sciences, where the Tetris guy was working. But I decided it was just too many words.

Aww man. You should really chuck that in! Subtle references are awesome.


ALSO: Here's a tip on junk rows for those who may not read instructions. Use the Spacebar. Took me a few plays in the earlier build to figure it out.

[Pishtaco]

Okay, I've put up a new version. I hope this is okay with the competition rules.

I've rebalanced it, making it easier, I think. And I've put in an alternative download without some of the graphical effects, which I hope will run for the people who were having problems before.


Download

Version 1.1:


Version 1.1 for older graphics cards (mostly looks about the same):



Changes for version 1.1

Rebalanced all levels.
Tweaked sounds and some effects in level 3.
Did a version that will hopefully work better with some graphics cards.
Added one more page of instructions.
Small changes to sprites and text.

[Pishtaco]

So, is the low graphics version 1.1 running for people who were having problems? The plain v1.1 should run better as well, since it does the rendering in a less boneheaded way. And has anyone managed to pass level 1 yet?

[Melly]

Played both versions, and for some reason the high graphics version runs for me now, though terribly laggy. The low graphics version has zero lag.

Now feedback time!

I really like what you got going here. It's a very interesting twist on the good old block stacking mechanic. It's also bloody crazy hard. I like that in order to do well you have to try and get rid of some objects as fast as possible while keeping others for as long as possible, though doing that can be dangerous as well. I still haven't devised a strategy to succeed.

Overall, I find it awesome. Good job.

[Pencerkoff]

Hello this is Pencerkoff,

Congratulations, you made a russian hate the AK-47.

This is good game, but I wish it didn't have such large pieces all the time.  If there is one easy change I'd suggest, it would be to limit those random blocks (like dog or zombie) to no more than once between regular blocks.  My current record is 4 dogs in a row.  Might have gone to 5 if that hadn't killed me.

-PENCERKOFF

[Gainsworthy]

I agree with Pencerkoff on this one. Maybe it's just bad luck, but I'm seeing MANY more large items in the newest version. I've been killed by getting 3 AK-47's in a row twice now, and have also seen 4 dogs one after the other. You probably should curb the gigantic piece drop rate.

[Pishtaco]

Thanks very much for the feedback. I'm glad that it's working now, and that at least one person has made it past level 1.

I'm a bit reluctant to change the dogs. As it is, in the doggiest part of level 1 there's a 20% chance of getting a dog each turn, but this goes down to 10% if you have a pistol and 5% if you have a shotgun or AK. So with any kind of weapon, you shouldn't be seeing 4 dogs in a row. And if you do, they're a simple shape so you can use them to get rid of each other (in theory). I also rather like the fact that I was considering, at one point, putting in code for occasional packs of dogs, but that just using straight random numbers already psychologically gives this effect.

I have a feeling I increased the number of drops of large weapons, to help see off the other enemies. If there's a problem I suspect it's because of random clumping and that just reducing the probability again will sometimes give you too few. Maybe just stopping the things dropping twice in a row will make it seem better without me having to come up with a sophisticated new way to distribute pieces. Hm.

[Gainsworthy]

Weell, you're right about the dogs, I guess. They are supposed to be dangerous. I guess it's even more incentive to walk softly, and carry a big gun.

But, yeah, lerge weapon clumping is pretty negative. The stopping something from two-in-a-row-ing is probably a good way around it. Because, with the AK-47 it's really easy to mess up a stack. That's really it, though. For now.

Glad to see you're still tinkering with the game. Also, you made the "Bytejacker" Top Ten! Huzzah.

[Robotacon]

I play S.T.A.C.K.E.R every day now.
It's an excellent game and I hope you win!

[Gainsworthy]

Oh Goodness. I just got up to Level Two. I am no longer crap!

Level Two is awesome! Zombies! With shotguns! And floodwater!

Dude. I mean, level one was swell, but you actually expanded upon it significantly.

Everybody: Get less crap at STACKER. So you can see level. Because it's cool.

 



EDIT: And now you're on 1UP. Nice! Very, very nice. 

[Pencerkoff]

Everybody: Get less crap at STACKER. So you can see level. Because it's cool.

Hello this is Pencerkoff once more,

Just wait for laser beams and rockets in act 3.  Once you get a high score in act 3, something crazy happens with the items... unless it is just bug, either way it is very funny.

I think I play this game too much.

-PENCERKOFF

[Pishtaco]

Just wait for laser beams and rockets in act 3.  Once you get a high score in act 3, something crazy happens with the items... unless it is just bug, either way it is very funny.

I think I play this game too much.

-PENCERKOFF

Do you mean the last area in level 3, "Core"? That's meant to be a bit different from the rest, but I don't think there's anything in it that should look like a bug. Are you playing version 1.1/

[Pencerkoff]

Just wait for laser beams and rockets in act 3.  Once you get a high score in act 3, something crazy happens with the items... unless it is just bug, either way it is very funny.

I think I play this game too much.

-PENCERKOFF

Do you mean the last area in level 3, "Core"? That's meant to be a bit different from the rest, but I don't think there's anything in it that should look like a bug. Are you playing version 1.1/

Hello this is Pencerkoff,

When only one kind of object is falling, I say question "did the game break", but yes, I think it was "core" and that game isn't with bug. 

Though this is best game in competition, I do have complaint.  There is a special event where a random block in your "inventory" is shot out by shotgun or something.  This is bad thing in game, most everything else there is strategy to use but this is so random and frustrating.  One idea would be to put crosshair on screen for a few turns and then have whatever block is under it destroyed, that way the player has time to flip stuff around or complete lines to avoid it.  Just suggestion.

- PENCERKOFF

[Zombahs]

wheres the download link?

[Gainsworthy]

Well, Zombahs there's a torrent for all the games at the top of this page: http://www.tigsource.com/features/demakes/


But, considering you only want this, for whatever reason, it's on Page 1 of this here thread. First post. Has a little stick figure on it giving food to another stick figure. Labelled DOWNLOAD.